A Marriage in Exchange- This is my first Assassin's Creed story, hope you like it. And PLEASE SEND A REVIEW.
The day was beginning to whine down as nighttime falls. Ezio had just finished his errands for today and was heading home. When he arrived at the Palazzo Auditore, he half expected to see his father sitting at his desk, finishing up his banking duties. But all he was greeted with was a ransacked office. Papers were scattered on the floor, a candleholder was knocked down on the desk, and the coat hanger lay on the floor as well. It seemed as if there was some kind of struggle. "Father!" He called out, but no answer. "Federico!"Still nothing. He ran into the family den, and was relieved to see his mother and sister there. His sister ran over to him. "Ezio!" she reached out and hugged him. "Claudia, are you alright?" He asked. She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, but mother she's in shock." They both glanced over at their mother, she both pained and confused. The housemaid Annetta came in. "What's happened here?" Ezio asked. "We don't know, guards came barging in and they took your father and brothers." Annetta explained. "They said they were under arrest for treason." Claudia added. "It all happened so fast." Ezio thought quickly. "We need to get out of here. Annetta, do you know of any place we can go to?" "Yes, Yes! To my sister's, she's not far from here." Ezio nodded. "Alright, take my mother and Claudia with you. I'm going to see if I can get to father." After he made sure the women were safe, Ezio started his way toward the tower his father was supposed to be held in as told by Claudia. Arrested for treason? What could his father have to do with this? He was just a banker. Could all those nights his father left for business be the matter? Ezio had to make some sense into this. He tried to be discreet as possible since there were twice as more guards in the evening than in the day. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he began climb his way up the hovering tower.
Giovanni sat solemnly and quietly in his cell. How could he have been so foolish to let this happen? He now knows the fate he will soon meet. He just hopes to God that these people will show some mercy and spare his two sons…as well as the rest of his family. Ezio wouldn't allow Maria and Claudia to get hurt, and it is only a matter of time before he knows what other profession his father does besides banking. Suddenly, he felt a presence. No, it wasn't the guards. The presence was coming from the barred window. He extended a hand out to the figure climbing it.
"Ezio, over here." The boy grasped his father's hand as he came up just enough to see him. It broke his heart to see him so distraught.
"Father, what happened?""Just a result of recent matters son. Your mother, Claudia, and Annetta, are they alright?" "Yes, they are safe." Ezio assured. "Good." Giovanni sounded relieved. "Father, please tell me what of these matters you speak of." There was a slight pause before Giovanni spoke. "Ezio, there are things that you don't quite know yet." He sighed. "Perhaps it I ever get the chance…" He raised his head up and began to snap out of his saddened state. "There's no time, I need you to go back into my office. There is a secret door, find it and go inside. There's a large chest you'll see soon as you walk in, take everything it contains, though most of it will seem questionable. And you know my friend Uberto Alberti? There's a letter in the chest I want you to send to him as soon as possible…if it is not too late." He explained everything in a rushed tone, but the last thing he said went back to the feeling of despair.
"Father, what do you mean?" They both turned their attention towards the door; guards were about to come in. "No time just go Ezio. Go!" The boy left out of there before the guards were able to spot him.
Now he knows what he needs to do to claim his father and brothers innocence. Alberto was a good friend of the family; he wouldn't let the family down. "What's the hurry?" Ezio spun around to face the figure with a mocking sense in his tone. A very familiar tone at that. It was none other than Vieri de Pazzi. He could have beaten his ass like he wanted to do during that bridge brawl the day before. But Vieri was always one to talk-the-talk while backing away from a real fight. However, this was not Ezio's day.
"Vieri, I do not have time to be bothered with your shit." He said through gritted teeth. Vieri chuckled, which pissed Ezio off even more. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't come here for a rematch." He said.
"Then what the hell do you want?" Ezio impatiently asked. Vieri spread out his arms. "I offer you deal." Vieri stepped out a little closer, and then he leaned his back against the wall, folding his arms. "Well, it's too bad that your father has been arrested. Perhaps if he'd stayed out of my father's affairs, and now he's planned for a public execution in front of a roaring crowd."
Execution?Over this situation? What could Ezio's father have done? "I do not have time for this; I need to go to Alberto now!" Ezio snapped. "Uberti? Oh you might as well forget it, he's not going to help you." Vieri said. Ezio's blood began to boil. "And how do you know that?" The other boy scoffed. "Are you that stupid? That dumb to not realize that Uberti is an ally of my family?"
The Auditore couldn't believe he was wasting his time. His family would be dead by now listening to the Pazzi. "That's a damn lie Vieri, he's my father's good friend. How could he be an ally of your family?" "Because idiot he was paid a great price by my father and his associates. As far as I know, he is going to be the one to take care of the execution tomorrow morning." "What?" So many thoughts ran through Ezio's head. Now what was he supposed to do? "How can this be? I'll kill him!" Vieri held his hands up in protest. "Now, no need to get so violent." That mocking tone of his enraged Ezio so much he wanted to beat him senseless, he knew he had to walk away. "Perhaps I can help you."
That made the Auditore stop dead in his tracks. He turned to face him again. "Help me how?"
The young Pazzi stepped up to Ezio closer. "I could convince the officials to release your family and prevent their execusion, as they are just irrevelant to the cuase." He explained. "I'll help you this one time…for a price." Vieri slowly rubbed his hands together and grinned.
Wasting no time, Ezio put his hand on his hips and asked, "How much do you want?" Vieri shook his head and scoffed. "Please, I don't want your money I have my own money." He said. "But what I do want is a prettier bride."Ezio raised an eyebrow. "Vieri, you should know this by now, Cristina doesn't want you." Vieri swatted a hand in the air. "Cristina? Pssh, I don't care about her anymore." He said nonchalantly. "But your sister, I've seen her before, and she's a fox." The Pazzi boy could have sworn he saw his rival's face turn red, but of course he suspected it. "How nice it would be to have a wife like her."
Ezio nearly exploded. "You want to marry my sister?" Vieri chuckled, clearly enjoying the Auditore's enragement. "Exactly, you have the whole night to make up the decision. Oh you might not want to take too long, because it will get late." Ezio sighed, he didn't know if Vieri was telling the truth or using another one of his tricks to get what he wanted. Can he really trust him? There was no time to question this, his father and two brothers' lives are on the line. Right now, Ezio is desperate to save them.
"Give it two hours, we'll meet here at the same spot." Vieri shrugged in response. "Alright, two hours, same spot. I'll be near waiting."
The two rivals split off. Ezio quickly made his way to the new residence his mother and sister are staying at. It was a brothel, large, cozy, and well kept. Ezio was soon greeted by Paola, the Madame owner of the place. He'd known her since he was a child; considering she was a good friend of his father's and actually introduced him to the woman who would soon become his wife.
"Salute Madonna." He said, accepting her embrace. "How are you?" she asked, with a bit of concern in her voice. They must have told her about the situation. "Alright, I suppose." He answered. "I really need to speak to Claudia." He didn't notice that she was upstairs, just coming out of the room when she heard her brother's voice. "Ezio?"
He glanced up, as she was descending down the stairs. She hugged him, and then looked around. "Ezio, where's-" He cut her off. "We need to talk, now." Claudia stared at him, taken aback by his impatient plea. "Alright." They both stepped outside in the garden. Claudia sat down on a bench to listen. Ezio told her everything that happened, including the execution that was supposed to take place.
"They plan to hang them the next morning." Claudia gasped. "What? Oh Diomio what are we going to do?" Ezio sat down next to her. "There is a way I can get them out." He said. "How?" He drew in a breath. "I've-somewhat made a deal, and you won't believe with who." He responded, brooding. Now Claudia was the one becoming impatient. "Well, don't keep me in the dark. Tell me who."
Ezio sighed. "Vieri." A surge of irritation was evident in his voice. Claudia frowned. "Vieri? The Pazzi boy you got in fight with on the bridge? The one who scarred up your face?" Her brother was taken aback. "Hey, at least I still have a way with the ladies!" He shot back. "But anyways he says he can find a way to get them released, 'for a price.'" Ezio made a mocking gesture of Vieri by rubbing his hands together. "Fine then, how much does he want?" Claudia asked. "It's not money he wants-it's a bride." The girl scoffed. "Well there are plenty of girls here. Say, maybe you can help him find one." She said.
Ezio shrugged, he became very hesitant to what he was about to say next. "That won't be too difficult. He's considering you to be his bride."
Claudia's eyes got so wide Ezio was afraid they would pop out of its sockets. "Me? Vieri must be out of his mind to think that I want to marry him!" Ezio agreed with her, and to think he was very close to considering this. "You know what, I'm going back there to tell him that my sister is not for sale! There are many other options, either he takes money or find him another woman." He grabbed his sister's hand. "Let's go!"
She pulled back. "Ezio wait!" She began to think for a moment, both hands on her hips. "We should reconsider." Ezio frowned. "Reconsider what?" Claudia rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I don't trust the bastardo, but maybe we should take this deal."
"Claudia, how do we know that we can trust him?" Ezio asked. "That's the thing, we are not going to be so quick to give in to what he wants. Come brother, we'll go to him and discuss more of this." She seemed to have most of this planned than he did. He obediently followed his sister on the way.